Approach:
Ecuador is strategically located in South America and serves as a connection in wheat production between North America and South America. Thus, surveillance and monitoring on novel virulent races, such as race Ug99 of wheat stem rust, in Ecuador is important in providing early warning detection to North America if virulent races of South America move toward North America. Several species of barberry serve as the alternate hosts for wheat stem and stripe rusts and are distributed in Ecuador. Universal susceptible varieties and critical resistant lines will be planted and maintained during crop season, rust infections will be recorded during growing season, and samples will be collected and forwarded to USDA, ARS, Cereal Disease Laboratory for race analysis. Rust infections on barberry will also be monitored and collected to be identified by Cereal Disease Research staff. Regular communications will be maintained via conference calls and e-mail.